Various electronic appliances, such as televisions, notebook or laptop computers, and mobile phones, among others, include one or more light emitters and/or sensors that perform or facilitate various functions. An example of a light sensor that may be included in such appliances is an infra-red (IR) receiver to receive remote control signals from a source that is external to the appliance. Another example is an ambient light sensor for adjusting the brightness of a display screen. In some cases, for example, ambient light sensors can be used to analyze the ambient light in a room and automatically adjust television settings to improve picture quality by changing settings such as color saturation, contrast, and intensity of the backlight. Likewise, visible light emitters may be used, for example, as a status indicator (e.g., ON/OFF status) of the appliance. Such light sensors and emitters can increase the versatility of the appliance, and may increase its lifespan, reduce power consumption and/or provide cost savings associated with use of the appliance.
On the other hand, the desire to incorporate more and more optoelectronic devices into such appliances presents a challenge because of the additional space required for the devices. This issue can be particularly important, for example, to television manufacturers as well as manufactures of other electronic appliances and systems in which space is at a premium.